Selenium fights Cancer

Hi has any one had success with taking Selenium I was at the clinic when one of the prostrate cancer patient told me there free PSA is almost 0 and has been for over a year now. I thought this is strange You see when you have prostrate cancer you have two PSA test I got this from this web site to tell you more about it http://www.prostatehealth.org.au/v3/html/sheet_2.htm

PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen is a protein which is secreted into ejaculate fluid by the healthy prostate. One of its functions is to aid sperm movement. Normally, only very low levels of the enzyme are able to enter the blood stream. However, because in cancer the normal structure of the tissue is disrupted, considerably more PSA is able to leak into the blood stream, and for this reason, a raised level of PSA in blood (or serum) can indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

there are two  tests ones the normal PSA the other is the free PSA the free PSA is the tumor marker ie the size of the prostrate tumor mines a free PSA of 8  my normil PSA last test was a PSA of 9.2 I was told by my doctor that ever year as my prostrate gets bigger my PSA will go up all Iv manage to do so far is to keep it from going up and maybe bring it down a little bit it was 9.8 now it 9.2 but to have it go down to 0 dream come true so I ask the usual question what were you doing to bring it down so low he said he’s been taking selenium I said come off it I take selenium to and it doesn’t have this effect on me he no you don’t under stand it the amount I take. now you got to under stand one selenium in large amounts is a poison he was taking 300mg a day I was taking only 25mg a day Iv now in crest it to 300mg a day Iv seen another two patients who have said there PSA is coming down I let you know how it go’s has any one else tried this please let me know  I got the next bit  from this website http://www.naturalnews.com/016446.html   

One of the most effective naturally occurring weapons against cancer is, like most healthy things, something many of us are not getting enough of. The mineral selenium has been shown in multiple studies to be an effective tool in warding off various types of cancer, including breast, esophageal, stomach, prostate, liver and bladder cancers. Not many people get the recommended dose of 200 micrograms a day. Most Americans only get between 60 and 100 micrograms of selenium daily from dietary sources, according to the Life Extension Foundation's Disease Prevention and Treatment. That means daily supplements might be worth considering.

Selenium was first used in conventional medicine as a treatment for dandruff, but our understanding of the mineral has come a long way since then. Today, research shows selenium, especially when used in conjunction with vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, works to block chemical reactions that create free radicals in the body (which can damage DNA and cause degenerative change in cells, leading to cancer).

Selenium also helps stop damaged DNA molecules from reproducing. In other words, selenium acts to prevent tumors from developing. "It contributes towards the death of cancerous and pre-cancer cells. Their death appears to occur before they replicate, thus helping stop cancer before it gets started," says Dr. James Howenstine in A Physician's Guide to Natural Health Products That Work. will take care Ray

 

 

Hi Ray,

Good information you included on selenium.

While I was doing research to design my own anti-cancer regimen, I noticed that selenium was mentioned at just about every reference I visited that detailed herbal and supplemental treatment for cancer.  And I mean dozens of sites.  This was pretty good corroboration for me that I needed to include selenium in my personal program.

I take a  200mcg gelcap every day, plus I get a little more selenium in my multivitamin, and with a few of the other supplements I take.  Altogether, I get just a little over 300 mcg /day, which is below the recommended upper limit of 400 mcg/day for an adult.  I also got my partner started taking it for her arthritis  - it really helps.

I take a lot of other herbs and supplements, too.  I know from many years of nursing practice that not every "medicine" (and that includes supplements, herbs, nutritional foods)  will work well for every person, because every person's body chemistry is different, the foods we eat are different, our genetics are different, and our immune systems and metabolism are drastically affected by so many other things. Therefore when I was formulating a plan for fighting cancer that I could make fit within a very tight budget, I tried to find as many of the most potent cancer fighters I could that were more common supplements and therefore not so expensive.  Selenium fit well within that category. (I also tried to cover as many of the actual mechanisms of attacking cancer as I could - from depriving it of estrogen, to interfering with cancer cell metabolism, to using natural killers, anti-oxidants, immune system boosters, cell-wall busters and more.)

I know that some people have been successful fighting cancer with just one or two remedies - I know that you've mentioned paw paw before in your posts, and I've since looked at research and anecdotes about paw paw.  it seems some people have put cancer into remission or even cured it using paw paw alone, and that is wonderful! but I don't think it  is the norm for most people to have that kind of success with a singular alternative treatment.  And I think it is because as I said, not all remedies work equally well for all people, because we are so different.  Another tremendously important factor in remedy efficacy is how advanced the cancer is and what has already been done to treat it.

From the research and anecdotes I've read about selenium, it truly is an extremely powerful weapon in the arsenal against cancer, but it needs to not be the only treatment used, because it doesn't cover all the bases.

Research suggests that selenium affects cancer risk in two ways. As an
anti-oxidant, selenium can help protect the body from damaging effects
of free radicals. Selenium may also prevent or slow tumor growth.
Certain breakdown products of selenium are believed to prevent tumor
growth by enhancing immune cell activity and suppressing development of
blood vessels to the tumor  (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp )

Certainly these actions are wonderful for cancer prevention, and they certainly will help to put cancer in remission, but in and of themselves they may not be sufficient to absolutely stop cancer that's already gotten a pretty good hold on someone. I think a lot more needs to happen to do that - we need to stop cancer cells from getting energy (citric acid, acetic acid, fructose inhibit glycolysis,) need to burst cancer cell walls - apoptosis, need to eat away at the protective proteins with proteolytic enzymes such as papain and bromelain, need to oxygenate cells - all of that and more to effectively beat cancer with an alternative regimen.

My alternative regimen is doing a good job - after 3 months my PET scan showed no signs of cancer!  And I think selenium played an important role in that success, but there's  a lot else I'm taking that was equally important.  I'm still using this regimen, and probably will for the rest of my life, although in lesser doses of some of the stuff, cause my focus has shifted to staying in remission rather than fighting active cancer.  One thing, however,  that I have not and will not decrease the dosage is selenium.  As long as I'm showing no symptoms of selenium overdose - and I shouldn't as long as I stay below 400 mcg/day - I intend to continue use it as one of the bigger guns in my arsenal.

Take care,

Tre

Tre As usual great information in your post. I think I mentioned before that my med/alternative docor began his career as a geneticist. He is always searching and researching.Lately he has been recommending Salvestrols for many of his cancer patients. http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid http://www.cancer-vcrc.org/hope.html When I was diagnosed in 2004 the naturopath I saw recommended selenium along with many other supplements that testing showed my system was deficient in. I still take 200mcg daily as well as a raft of other supplements. Obviously all working well as I have never felt nor looked healthier and have no symptoms of disease. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w97/selenium.html With all the research you must do you may have run across all of this before. Hopefully it will be helpful to someone. Take good care

 

On 8/7/2008 trehouse60 wrote:

Hi Ray,

Good information you included on selenium.

While I was doing research to design my own anti-cancer regimen, I noticed that selenium was mentioned at just about every reference I visited that detailed herbal and supplemental treatment for cancer.  And I mean dozens of sites.  This was pretty good corroboration for me that I needed to include selenium in my personal program.

I take a  200mcg gelcap every day, plus I get a little more selenium in my multivitamin, and with a few of the other supplements I take.  Altogether, I get just a little over 300 mcg /day, which is below the recommended upper limit of 400 mcg/day for an adult.  I also got my partner started taking it for her arthritis  - it really helps.

I take a lot of other herbs and supplements, too.  I know from many years of nursing practice that not every "medicine" (and that includes supplements, herbs, nutritional foods)  will work well for every person, because every person's body chemistry is different, the foods we eat are different, our genetics are different, and our immune systems and metabolism are drastically affected by so many other things. Therefore when I was formulating a plan for fighting cancer that I could make fit within a very tight budget, I tried to find as many of the most potent cancer fighters I could that were more common supplements and therefore not so expensive.  Selenium fit well within that category. (I also tried to cover as many of the actual mechanisms of attacking cancer as I could - from depriving it of estrogen, to interfering with cancer cell metabolism, to using natural killers, anti-oxidants, immune system boosters, cell-wall busters and more.)

I know that some people have been successful fighting cancer with just one or two remedies - I know that you've mentioned paw paw before in your posts, and I've since looked at research and anecdotes about paw paw.  it seems some people have put cancer into remission or even cured it using paw paw alone, and that is wonderful! but I don't think it  is the norm for most people to have that kind of success with a singular alternative treatment.  And I think it is because as I said, not all remedies work equally well for all people, because we are so different.  Another tremendously important factor in remedy efficacy is how advanced the cancer is and what has already been done to treat it.

From the research and anecdotes I've read about selenium, it truly is an extremely powerful weapon in the arsenal against cancer, but it needs to not be the only treatment used, because it doesn't cover all the bases.

Research suggests that selenium affects cancer risk in two ways. As an
anti-oxidant, selenium can help protect the body from damaging effects
of free radicals. Selenium may also prevent or slow tumor growth.
Certain breakdown products of selenium are believed to prevent tumor
growth by enhancing immune cell activity and suppressing development of
blood vessels to the tumor  (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp )

Certainly these actions are wonderful for cancer prevention, and they certainly will help to put cancer in remission, but in and of themselves they may not be sufficient to absolutely stop cancer that's already gotten a pretty good hold on someone. I think a lot more needs to happen to do that - we need to stop cancer cells from getting energy (citric acid, acetic acid, fructose inhibit glycolysis,) need to burst cancer cell walls - apoptosis, need to eat away at the protective proteins with proteolytic enzymes such as papain and bromelain, need to oxygenate cells - all of that and more to effectively beat cancer with an alternative regimen.

My alternative regimen is doing a good job - after 3 months my PET scan showed no signs of cancer!  And I think selenium played an important role in that success, but there's  a lot else I'm taking that was equally important.  I'm still using this regimen, and probably will for the rest of my life, although in lesser doses of some of the stuff, cause my focus has shifted to staying in remission rather than fighting active cancer.  One thing, however,  that I have not and will not decrease the dosage is selenium.  As long as I'm showing no symptoms of selenium overdose - and I shouldn't as long as I stay below 400 mcg/day - I intend to continue use it as one of the bigger guns in my arsenal.

Take care,

Tre

Hi tre WOW thats a good post your right on target wet selenium  with what Iv read There has been a few more cancer patient I come across in my walks on the beach  say it helped them fight cancer I know there are some cancers it will only slow down.  Iv started takeing about 200ug a day to treat my prostrat cancer. your right about every person's body chemistry is different, where did you get the 200mcg or mu gelcap from.  I to have heard it can treat  arthritis your right it really helps take care Ray

A large cancer prevention trial in the U.S. has found that selenium supplements can significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer after only a few years of use. Most of this imformation comes from the site at

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s17802.

The correct symbol for microgram is µg, but since that is very tough to type on a keyboard, you will often see it listed as ug or mcg, but both mean microgram.
 

200ug micrograms =  0.2mg milligrams 

my problems is in Austraila Im finding it hard to find the high dose I need please dont confuse micrograms ug with milligrams mg (see above ) I seen sites reckonmending 200 micrograms a day but if you have cancer  you could be taking up to 400 micrograms a day you may think this is high but

with selenium, the signs of toxicity are you can develop a garlic odor to your breath, as you do with arsenic poisoning, and your hair and nails become brittle. But that occurs at probably ten times the intake if we took 200 micrograms a day, at this amount studies from the site above said they did not see a single cases of toxicity in our population. they talked about treating skin cancer problem is selenium only works on cancer with the p53 mutation, its a cancer gene or cancer causing related gene that people are looking at, which when it's mutated, cells lose control of their growth. It's involved with whether the cells go on and can do programmed cell death or not. And so this is occurring very early in skin cancer, and in most other cancers, that's a very light mutation. So my hypothesis at this point is that we can affect the other types of cancer because they don't have the p53 mutation, but if you do have the p53 mutation, that would block the effect of selenium. The length of time you have to treat someone will be much longer for skin cancer, maybe 10 years or 15 years, and only a few years for other types of cancer. with selenium. there’s two basic forms: there are inorganic forms, then there's organic forms,

(this little bit is also from the study) we used an organic form in our study because it gives a better body burden and has a long half life, which means when you take the pill it stays with you longer than the inorganic forms do. The other thing is a matter of safety that all the miss formulations in America that have occurred, have occurred with the inorganic forms.

essentially what I believe is that selenium in this sense is almost acting like a drug which is switching on the cancer cells to commit suicide, and therefore in a sense, almost surveying the body for cancer and cancers are being nipped in the bud.

Ill take this for a while  let you know how it went in a few month take care Ray

 

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the little lesson on mcg versus mg - I really try to be careful of what I type - just haven't taken the time to use the little long-legged u thingy!  what keyboard stroke are you using to type the microgram symbol (or are you copying it in?)

 I worked in nursing for 16 years, 13 1/2 or that as an R.N.  I had opportunity to work many different types of patient care, including quite a bit of oncology.  I've been out of nursing for over 10 years, but I've found a lot of it is still there percolating in my head.  The challenge is catching up on the new stuff!!

I've been interested in aboriginal medicine for some time - I worked in an herb shop for a little less than a year - we used to get some stuff from Australia, Asia, and South America, but not a lot cause it tended to be expensive and people just didn't want to pay that kind of money for herbs (much to their own detriment.)  I see a lot of information on the internet about Aussie remedies being used for cancer and a lot of other things (I hope the term Aussie is not insulting - if it is, TELL ME, and I won't use it any more!)  Very interesting thread here on Cancer Compass that talks about Gumby Gumby - I spent some time researching it last night.  Looks like it might be a very valuable resource.

Some day I would like to have a small farm, with a greenhouse and grounds that I could devote to growing cancer fighting herbs and plants.  I'd really like to be able to provide low cost trial samples for people who can't afford to buy alternatives.  If given a chance to find out if an alternative works and if the person can tolerate it, they might be more willing to devote the financial resources to buying it from commercial producers in the quantities they need. 

Gumby Gumby is now on my list of trees that I would someday hope to propagate. (Don't know if it will grow well here, but I could at least try.)

Y'all pray for me to win the lottery, so I can get started!!!!

Hope you have a great day!

Tre

I forgot - you asked where I get my selenium.

There are 2 excellent health food stores in a town near where I live (Pennsylvania, in the United States) - so I don't have any problem getting stuff I need.  If they don't have it, they usually are happy to order it for me.

the problem with the stores is stuff can be pretty expensive - the store has to make a profit, too, or they can't stay in business.   So I buy about 90% of my herbal regimen online.

I get most of my products from http://www.swansonvitamins.com/   They have a good selection of different brands, and they offer excellent discount prices, and low shipping.  I order in bulk, and I tend to save $30 - $50 with each order, as compared to buying at the stores.  Swanson's shipping is low, too - one set price no matter the size of your order (I don't know what the rates would be to Australia.)

Another excellent online resource is http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/

As for which brands I buy, most of my supplements are NOW brand or the SWANSON brand - they both seem to be pretty much what the companies represent them to be. I also use NATURE'S WAY - it's pretty good stuff.  

I have also used Puritan's Pride (http://www.puritanspride.com/ ) - I'm not convinced it is as good as the others I have mentioned, but my 99 year old grandmother has been getting supplements from Puritan's Pride for 30 years, and she's still healthy enough to be living by herself!  (Grandma is the one who alerted me to the Swanson products - she uses those a lot, too.)

I'm not too impressed with supplements from Nature's Bounty. I've used several different things from JERROW - they sell very high quality supplements, but they're pretty expensive.

If you want a good website to do comparison shopping - both for prices and label ingredients, this is a good site:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/

It talks about what the different compounds do, and I'm pretty sure you can select several different brands of the same thing and pull the labels up simultaneously to compare what's in them.  (I don't buy from this site - just use it for reference, so I do not know what kind of service you might get from them.)   If you try this site and it DOESN'T offer the comparisons, let me know - I might have put in the wrong URL.

Not sure where you live (you talk about walking along the beach - I envy you that!) - if delivery by mail is not a problem, I definitely recommend you check out the online stores.

Take care, Tre

 

 

On 8/8/2008 trehouse60 wrote:

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the little lesson on mcg versus mg - I really try to be careful of what I type - just haven't taken the time to use the little long-legged u thingy!  what keyboard stroke are you using to type the microgram symbol (or are you copying it in?)

 I worked in nursing for 16 years, 13 1/2 or that as an R.N.  I had opportunity to work many different types of patient care, including quite a bit of oncology.  I've been out of nursing for over 10 years, but I've found a lot of it is still there percolating in my head.  The challenge is catching up on the new stuff!!

I've been interested in aboriginal medicine for some time - I worked in an herb shop for a little less than a year - we used to get some stuff from Australia, Asia, and South America, but not a lot cause it tended to be expensive and people just didn't want to pay that kind of money for herbs (much to their own detriment.)  I see a lot of information on the internet about Aussie remedies being used for cancer and a lot of other things (I hope the term Aussie is not insulting - if it is, TELL ME, and I won't use it any more!)  Very interesting thread here on Cancer Compass that talks about Gumby Gumby - I spent some time researching it last night.  Looks like it might be a very valuable resource.

Some day I would like to have a small farm, with a greenhouse and grounds that I could devote to growing cancer fighting herbs and plants.  I'd really like to be able to provide low cost trial samples for people who can't afford to buy alternatives.  If given a chance to find out if an alternative works and if the person can tolerate it, they might be more willing to devote the financial resources to buying it from commercial producers in the quantities they need. 

Gumby Gumby is now on my list of trees that I would someday hope to propagate. (Don't know if it will grow well here, but I could at least try.)

Y'all pray for me to win the lottery, so I can get started!!!!

Hope you have a great day!

Tre

Hi tre you can call me Aussie if you want when I worked in Sydney I worked contracting with the railway  most of the crew were from over seas I was one of the few only Australian working there the crew called me Aussie. and yes Aboriginal medicine is brilliant I use to have an aboriginal friend Andrew when I was in school he develop diabetes in Sydney. later  he got into a program where they sent him up to the northern territory to live with other  aboriginals eating the food they eat in there walkabout he did this for six months come back with no diabetes he all so look deferent to he had a respect for him self.   About Gumby Gumby There has been a lot writing about this little native plant called Pittosporoum Phylliraeoides, it more commonly known as Gumby Gumby. It has been published recently that it can help cure cancer and many other ailments. Its an anti depressant. It has also been reported that it helps boost the immune system I think what you said about the farm what ever you love doing you will do well if you love  a small farm and love alternative treatments that works and say it works for me. I found People who can't afford some thing will pay for it when they can see it more valuable to have it then not to have it. all you have to do is make them seeit the way you see it. About the µg, I copy it, but my kids showed me you can do it in a ms word document I remember when one of my kids had done a chemistry assignment for high school, and she showed me how. But with age I forgot how. so I copied it  What made you leave nursing. I got sick and had to retire so  my wife now works as an RN in a practice clinic.  She worked in oncology for many years about 30 years ago. back then  nurses were not told to were gloves while  treating cancer patient with chemo, after many years of  treating patients with chemo not only did her thyroid gland pack it in, but my eldest doughier was born with health problems. You see my wife was pregnant with my daughter while she worked with the chemo we both had to work to pay for the mortgage I ask her not to she said she had to work. how we going to pay it They both have had health problems ever since. Take care God bless Ray

 

On 8/8/2008 trehouse60 wrote:

I forgot - you asked where I get my selenium.

There are 2 excellent health food stores in a town near where I live (Pennsylvania, in the United States) - so I don't have any problem getting stuff I need.  If they don't have it, they usually are happy to order it for me.

the problem with the stores is stuff can be pretty expensive - the store has to make a profit, too, or they can't stay in business.   So I buy about 90% of my herbal regimen online.

I get most of my products from http://www.swansonvitamins.com/   They have a good selection of different brands, and they offer excellent discount prices, and low shipping.  I order in bulk, and I tend to save $30 - $50 with each order, as compared to buying at the stores.  Swanson's shipping is low, too - one set price no matter the size of your order (I don't know what the rates would be to Australia.)

Another excellent online resource is http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/

As for which brands I buy, most of my supplements are NOW brand or the SWANSON brand - they both seem to be pretty much what the companies represent them to be. I also use NATURE'S WAY - it's pretty good stuff.  

I have also used Puritan's Pride (http://www.puritanspride.com/ ) - I'm not convinced it is as good as the others I have mentioned, but my 99 year old grandmother has been getting supplements from Puritan's Pride for 30 years, and she's still healthy enough to be living by herself!  (Grandma is the one who alerted me to the Swanson products - she uses those a lot, too.)

I'm not too impressed with supplements from Nature's Bounty. I've used several different things from JERROW - they sell very high quality supplements, but they're pretty expensive.

If you want a good website to do comparison shopping - both for prices and label ingredients, this is a good site:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/

It talks about what the different compounds do, and I'm pretty sure you can select several different brands of the same thing and pull the labels up simultaneously to compare what's in them.  (I don't buy from this site - just use it for reference, so I do not know what kind of service you might get from them.)   If you try this site and it DOESN'T offer the comparisons, let me know - I might have put in the wrong URL.

Not sure where you live (you talk about walking along the beach - I envy you that!) - if delivery by mail is not a problem, I definitely recommend you check out the online stores.

Take care, Tre

 

Thank tre I live in Queensland tropics of  Australia love rain forest it we are losing rainfoest fast I wonder what cancer cures we have lost all ready I was sadden when I learned  a little while ago that a species of tree frog only native to a small area had disappeared what happen is urban development wipe the tree frog out. people were living close to the rain forest and little kids would come down and catch tadpoles by doing so they wipe them out in a couple of years these same kids also sadden for what they done went on a program to help protect what left Ill look at these sites later on I was just amaze at how many cancer  patient know about this and I didn’t Cheers Ray